Government Office Allocation Committee (GOAC)

Overview

The role of GOAC is to secure suitable office accommodation to meet the establishment and operational needs of all government agencies throughout the country. GOAC will also to formulate and review strategies and guidelines in relation to the planning provision and management of office accommodation for agencies.

The Chairman of GOAC is the person occupying the position of Chief Secretary to Government

Membership of the Committee is as follows:

Chief Secretary to Government – Chairman;

Secretary, Department of Treasury;

Secretary, Department of Finance;

Secretary, Department of Personnel Management;

Secretary, Department of Works;

Secretary, Department of Justice and Attorney General; and

Secretary, Department of Lands and Physical Planning.

Department of Finance (GOAD) role in relation to office accommodation and GOAC involves:

Performance of GOAC’s secretariat function;

Research and make recommendations to GOAC regarding developing trends, benchmarking of workspace density allocations etc

Liaison as necessary between GOAC and relevant industry bodies, professional institutes and registration boards in fields such as valuation, architecture, building construction and structural engineering, legal, etc;

Development, review and monitoring of guidelines for the acquisition, construction, and occupancy of government owned office buildings;

Development, review and monitoring of guidelines for the procurement and occupancy of space in buildings leased from the private sector;

Development, review and implementation of standard government leasing documentation;

Negotiation and management of all leases in non-government-owned office buildings including rent reviews and ‘make good’ negotiations;

Submission for approval by GOAC of private sector leases;

Development and implementation of acquisition, refurbishment, rationalisation and disposal strategies for government owned office accommodation and office building assets;

GOAC’s terms of reference have been approved by NEC to be:

To examine and approve all new leases and to review all existing leases from time to time to ensure currency and pricing and efficiency of allocation according to establishment from time to time;

To acquire and build Government owned accommodation and refurbish existing Government office accommodation with a view to reducing the cost to Government of leased accommodation;

To examine building and cost proposals for new office development and recommend approval in principle for new leases;

To approve the movements of departments and Agencies in taking up the office space allocated to them and to utilise the office space in the most efficient manner;

To examine and approve the purchase of properties for all Government offices within funds appropriated; and

To co-ordinate and examine all submissions for Minor New Works regarding the upgrading and air conditioning of existing accommodation.

To determine and make recommendations to NEC impacting on the overall strategic direction and approach for the ownership and management of the government’s office building portfolio consistent with government policy;

Provide technical advice to the Chairman.

Government Office Building and Ownership

Government assets, including land and buildings, are legally owned by The Independent State of Papua New Guinea. However, as a matter of practicality Departments and Agencies assume the role of “owner’s representative” of government owned office buildings which they wholly occupy, or are the main tenant of.

DoF (GOAD) is the sole agency responsible for the construction of new government office buildings unless otherwise approved by NEC and GOAC.

Agencies must not acquire (construct or purchase) office buildings in whole or in part without GOAC approval in principle. Any such acquisitions are also subject to the normal budget process including the budget review processes.

Any agency considering construction, extension or purchase of office space may make submission to GOAC for approval. Applications will be considered on their merits but Whole-of-government needs take precedence over single agency’s preferences when significant benefits to government are to be realised or when significant cost savings can be achieved.

Agencies may acquire operational service delivery facilities such as research establishments, field stations, clinical facilities or police stations. However, the office accommodation components within these facilities should be consistent with the workspace ratio standards. The DoF (GOAD) should be consulted if the circumstances are unclear.

Leasing Office Building

A lease is a legal grant for the occupation or use of physical assets for a fixed time period, with specific obligations, responsibilities, terms and conditions attached to those rights, and for which the tenant (the lessee) pays to the landlord (the lessor) a predetermined rental for the benefit of possession and quiet enjoyment of the premises. The lease specifies the rights and obligations of both parties to the contract.

Lease management refers to the process of managing the financial and legal obligations of the lease arrangement once it is formalised, matters associated with the physical occupancy of the premises, and to the ongoing interaction between the tenant and landlord during the period of the lease and during any extensions of that lease.